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14 killed, 4 missing in heavy Saudi rainfall

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© WAMFourteen people have died and four are missing due to torrential rain according to the Saudi Civil Defense General Directorate.
Fourteen people have died and four are missing due to torrential rain, said the Saudi Civil Defense General Directorate.

From Monday night until midday Tuesday, Saudi authorities received more than 4,213 reports from across the kingdom of accidents resulting from torrential rainfall.

Classes have been suspended in affected areas of the country.

Cloud Precipitation

Texas floods as up to seven inches of rain falls after storms hit much of the South

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© AP Photo/ Houston Chronicle Reports indicate that at least 80 cars were stranded in the surrounding area of Houston, Texas after heavy storms battered the South over the weekend
A number of severe thunderstorms have moved across much of the South, prompting warnings across several states.

The onslaught of storms have dumped more than seven inches in some areas and flood warnings were still in effect around Houston, Texas until Sunday morning.

According to local affiliates quarter-size hail and winds up to 60 mph were reported in South Texas.

The stretch of bad weather extended all the way to Tennessee, where a number of stray animals were 'on the loose.'

The Fayette Country Animal Rescue was damaged by the storm sending an unknown number of animals into the area near Interstate 40.

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© AP Photo/ Houston Chronicle Officials with the Houston Fire Department were encouraging individuals to stay home during the storms
Currently there are no reports of any deaths or injuries from the storms.

Cloud Precipitation

Death toll from north Afghanistan flash flooding rises to 20

Afghanistan flood
© Unknown
The death toll from the latest devastating floods in northern Afghan following heavy rains in the area has climbed to 20 people, local officials say.

Zabihullah Akhtari, an official at Balkh governor's office, said on Thursday that nearly 2,000 households have been affected in the provincial capital Mazar-i-Sharif - located over 300 kilometers (186 miles) northwest of Kabul - and three nearby towns.

He added that eight people were killed in Sholgara district, seven in Kishindih, four in Charkint and one in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Cloud Precipitation

Worst of U.S. Midwest flooding may not be over

Major river flooding this week

Many tributaries of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers are forecast to reach, surpass or remain at major flood stage over the next several days. As of late Monday afternoon, more than 150 gauges were in flood stage across the USA, almost all of them in the upper Midwest.
Midwest flood map
© NOAA
As of Tuesday morning, more than 150 gauges were in flood stage across the USA, almost all of them in the upper Midwest.

Bizarro Earth

Record flooding threatens Midwest, Mississippi river

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© AFP Photo / Scott OlsonBicycles sit in floodwater outside an apartment building April 19, 2013 in Des Plaines, Illinois.
Torrential downpours along the Mississippi River have forced Midwesterners in half a dozen states to fight back floodwaters, which risk reaching record levels.

Illinois, Missouri, Michigan, Indiana, Iowa and Wisconsin all experienced flooding as heavy rainfalls hit the region Wednesday - posing a sharp contrast to the drought which months prior endangered commercial barge traffic on the Mississippi River.

On Friday, barge shipping was halted on parts of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers as flooding prompted the US Army Corps of Engineers to close several locks until at least the middle of next week.

Seven Mississippi River locks were closed in total between Thursday evening and Friday morning as water topped dams.

The problem is set to intensify, as crests on the rivers are expected to be reached on Sunday at the earliest in more northern areas and several days later further south.

River levels are expected to exceed flood stage by 12 feet (4 meters) in some parts of Missouri and Illinois, running the risk of inundation, mass displacement of residents, and untold property damage.

Cloud Precipitation

Flash flooding bearing down on Chicago

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A tarp covers the infield at Wrigley Field in Chicago as a heavy rain falls Wednesday. More rain is expected Thursday.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for much of the Chicago area Thursday. The flooding comes as a powerful spring storm that snarled air traffic from Denver to Chicago moved into the U.S. heartland Thursday, tormenting the region with everything from heavy snow to severe thunderstorms.

The emergency is for DuPage and Cook counties in Illinois. Widespread flooding already has been reported in the region. About 3 to 5 inches of rain have fallen in the past 24 hours, and an additional 1 to 2 inches of rainfall are expected.

"Emergency management reported that numerous roads and interstates were closed due to flooding. Reports of stranded vehicles have also been relayed in addition to flooded homes and other buildings. Some municipalities have also declared states of emergency due to the flooding," the weather service said.

Better Earth

Buenos Aires flooding causes severe disruption

Cleanup and rescue operations begin in Buenos Aires after torrential rain causes widespread flooding and severe disruption in Argentina's capital. About 167mm of rain hit Buenos Aires, a record in the city for the month of April. Clogged drains are being cleared and emergency services have been using boats to assist people left marooned

Attention

Update: 'Tsunami of rain' hits Buenos Aires - Death toll rises to 54 as millions left without power and water - Event was 'deluge without historical precedent'

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Record-breaking flash-flooding has drowned countless people in Buenos Aires, Argentina
The death toll from the heavy rains and flash floods that have pounded Buenos Aires City and La Plata, capital of the Buenos Aires province have climbed to at least 54, and could increase, Argentine authorities said on Wednesday.

The "tsunami of rain," as it has been called, has forced thousands of people to be evacuated and caused significant damage to homes and infrastructure. An estimated 600,000 people in the area have no power, drinking water or working phone lines.

The Argentine government is working with provincial and local authorities to evacuate homes which in some La Plata neighborhoods were flooded with more than 1.5 meters of water.

Of the 48 confirmed fatalities in La Plata, 60 kilometers south of the national capital, only 24 have been identified, said Buenos Aires provincial security minister Ricardo Casal, adding that among the identified dead there was just one young person, a 21-year-old man, and all the rest were people over age 50.

Comment: Keep in mind that 'the worst flooding in over a half-century' hit Buenos Aires just four months ago in December 2012...


Bizarro Earth

9 people swept by floods in Narok, Kenya


Cloud Precipitation

Record-breaking deluge hits Buenos Aires, leaving five dead

Torrential rains in Argentina's capital have triggered flooding responsible for at least five deaths.

A record 6.1 inches (155 millimeters) of rain fell in just two hours in Buenos Aires on Tuesday. That's equal to all of normal rainfall for April.

The storm caused power outages, flooded subway lines and turned the streets into rivers.

Emergency officials are asking people to stay at home after a subway worker died when he was electrocuted after stepping on wet railway lines and after three men and a woman drowned to death.

Service on a subway line has been interruupted, and trains on other lines are delayed. Officials are asking people to avoid driving to prevent accidents.

The Argentine National Metereological Service expects more storms Tuesday in Buenos Aires and says heavy rains will continue until Friday.